John Juanda

PokerSource

John’s nickname is “Luckbox,” but “Silent Assassin” might be more appropriate, since John is one of the most masterful tournament players in the world, but you would never know it by looking at him. He is quiet and respectful of his opponents at the table, but do not let his demeanor fool you – he is always plotting about how he is going to get your chip stack.

John was born and raised in Indonesia to entrepreneurial parents, and he caught the gambling bug from his father (who unfortunately enjoyed it best when drunk). It was not until his flight to the United States in 1990 at age 19, however, that John learned about poker, and in 1996 John Juanda decided to make poker his profession.

In the meantime, he earned a double bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Oklahoma State University, followed by an MBA from the University of Seattle. Once he started playing poker for a living, he was an almost immediate force.

In 1999, he played in the World Series of Poker for the first time, making the final table in both events in which he entered. In 2001, he notched his first major tournament victory, winning the World Poker Open. In 2002, John won his first WSOP bracelet and followed it up by winning two more in 2003. In 2008, Juanda captured his biggest score to date, winning the WSOP Europe for a whopping $1.5 million. John Juanda is also a sponsored pro at Full Tilt Poker

All told, John Juanda has won over 20 poker tournaments and has collected over $9.6 million in tournament winnings.

John has ambitions beyond poker, too. He would like to some day earn a medical degree so he can pursue his goal of providing low/no cost medical care to people in third world countries.